Under the Central Sector Schemes of Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India, CCTM organized the 6th Continuing Medical Education (CME) for Sowa-Rigpa Doctors at Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India from dated 3rd – 8th September 2018.
As usual, the opening session was held on the first day before the sessions and the chief guest Dr. K. Natrajan, Secretary, Central Council of Indian Medicine had formally inaugurated the CME programme by lighting the ceremonial lamp where Dr. Padma Gurmet, Member of Sowa-Rigpa, CCIM and delegates from Central Tibetan Administration and Directors of registered Sowa-Rigpa Medical Colleges/Institute were present as a guests. Prof. Dr. Lobsang Tenzin Rakdho, Chairman of CCTM delivered the welcome address where he welcomes all the guests, speakers and trainees who came from different part of India. He briefly introduced the history of and legal status of Sowa-Rigpa in Asian countries particularly in India after the gazette notification issued in 2010 by amending the IMCC Act. 1970. He stressed the researchers, scholars, practitioners and student who are responsible for the development and administration of this system to use all the resources and take all the opportunities with sincerity and renewed vigor to be of service to human health and happiness. He highlighted the topics of the 6 Days CME Programme and urged the trainees to use this opportunity fullest. He concludes his talk by thanking the Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India for their generous fund towards preservation and promotion of Sowa-Rigpa through such program. After that, Dr. Tsering Tsamchoe, Gen. Secretary of CCTM read the 2017-2018 annual report of CCTM.
Later, the Chief Guest of the opening session Dr. K. Natrajan, Secretary of CCIM, briefly introduced the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) and its IMCC Act. 1970. He said that last year in 2017, CCIM has established the regulations – Minimum Standard Education (MSE) and Requirement of Minimum Standard for under-graduate Sowa-Rigpa College and attached Hospitals) and also notified the official gazette on the recognition of Sowa-Rigpa Degree issued by Men-Tsee-Khang College, Chapori College, CIBS and CIHTS by amending the second schedule of IMCC Act. 1970. He thank CCTM, and all the stake holders, Dr. Padma Gurmet, Member, CCIM for their help in a way preparing and drafting the above regulations. Last but not the least, he wishes the CME program a success event. Later, Dr. Sonam Dolkar Oshoe delivered a vote of thanks speech by thanking all the speakers, trainees and guests who came all the way from different parts of India to attend this important academic program. The opening session end with the prosperous prayer of Sowa-Rigpa.
The 6 days program includes 2 sessions on history of Sowa-Rigpa, 3 sessions on Philosophy of Sowa-Rigpa, 2 sessions on legal act and regulations, 5 sessions on clinical practice, 3 sessions on research, 3 sessions on pharmacy and total 6 sessions of practical demonstrations. In total, 12 invited experts (due to weather condition, flight from Delhi-Dharamsala was cancelled and one expert could not attend the program) and with overall 28 trainees from different state of country like J&K, Hyderabad, Delhi, Varanasi, Darjeeling, Sikkim and Local Dharamsala, had participated in this program.
After the sessions, a short closing session was held in which Ven. Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok, Deputy Speaker of Tibetan Parliament in Exile was invited as a chief guest and the chief guest has distributed an appreciation certificate to the speakers and special guest Ms. Yeshi Wangmo; deputy secretary of Dept. of Health, CTA had distributed a participation certificate to all the participants attend for this program.
Chief guest Ven. Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok said that it is because of the establishment of CCTM that many people are becoming more aware of the rich tradition of Sowa-Rigpa (Tibetan medical system) and could organize such CME programmes. He also recounted how Sh. Jagat Prakash Nadda, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare appraised the Tibetan medical system and this year, the GoI recognized this system with great honor by presenting Padma Shree award to Dr. Yeshi Dhonden, who served almost 70 years for humanity and given a new life to the countless number of patients, by giving a hope to the hopeless, providing a help to the helpless with generosity and compassionate heart. In addition, Deputy Speaker stressed all the registered medical practitioners specially those young practitioner to shoulder the responsibility of preserving and promoting Sowa-Rigpa and along with the medical practices, Sowa-Rigpa Practitioners must strive hard to promote and disseminate Traditional Tibetan Astrological practices as well. He concluded his address by stating that, ‘As a refugee, it is our utmost responsibility to disseminate to the world about Tibetan struggle and those of non-Tibetan practitioners and members of CCTM from Himalayan regions, we share the same script and religion, and therefore have same responsibility and can assist in preserving and promoting our rich culture and tradition to contribute more help and benefit to all the people.
Thereafter, CCTM thank all the trainees, speakers, guests and has offered special thanks to GoI for their fund towards promotion of Sowa-Rigpa. As of guidelines, feedback form filled by the trainees and a brief report with detail list of speakers, trainees and detail program and an audited accounts will be send to the Rashtriya Ayurved Vidyapeeth, Nodal office for CME, New Delhi.